This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
A climate-control system such as, for example, a heat-pump system, a refrigeration system, or an air conditioning system, may include a fluid circuit having an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion device disposed between the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers, and one or more compressors circulating a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant or carbon dioxide) between the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers. Efficient and reliable operation of the one or more compressors is desirable to ensure that the climate-control system in which the one or more compressors are installed is capable of effectively and efficiently providing a cooling and/or heating effect on demand.
Effective and efficient operation of a compressor often requires lubricating certain moving components within the compressor. Accordingly, often a compressor will include a lubricant sump or reservoir and lubrication monitoring system, such as a gauge and/or sensor, to monitor the level or quantity of lubricant in the lubricant reservoir. While known lubrication monitoring systems have proven acceptable for their intended purpose, a continuous need for improvement in the relevant art remains. In this regard, it may be desirable to provide a compressor having a lubricant-level sensing system that can more effectively and accurately monitor the quantity of lubricant within the compressor.